AVICII SHARES CONCERNS ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES IN ‘FOR A BETTER DAY,’ ‘PURE GRINDING’ IS A SERGIO LEONE SHOOT-EM-UP
2X Grammy nominated and AMA-winning producer/DJ Avicii is making his directorial debut today with the with the worldwide premier of videos for “For A Better Day” and “Pure Grinding,” the new double single from his upcoming album STORIES, out October 2 on PRMD/Island Records.
‘For A Better Day’: YouTube / Vevo
‘Pure Grinding’: YouTube / Vevo
“All the songs have a story I wanted to tell,” says Avicii, and he continues that storytelling on the cinematic new videos. Directed by Levan Tsikurishvili and Tim Bergling, both videos were filmed in Hungary this summer and are action packed with underlying social themes.
For the “For A Better Day” video, Avicii enlisted the renowned Swedish actor Krister Henriksson, known internationally for his starring role in the television series Wallander, for a cameo appearance. The video focuses on the international tragedy of child trafficking.
Avicii, whose live performances are known for their ability to excite fans and elevate the emotions to roller coaster levels, says he wants his music to have an additional meaning in alongside its ability to entertain. “The promise of a better life often traps families and children into being used as tools for some of the most despicable people on earth. It’s an issue about which I hope to start a louder discussion, especially now with the huge number of families on the move from war torn countries looking for safety and shelter.”
For ‘”Pure Grinding,” which Billboard magazine said “is a refreshing slice of swing funk whose guitar licks and sax lines fit seamlessly into the producer’s tasteful trap-inspired beats,” a gangster gets his just deserves in a fun and action packed video that is reminiscent of a modern day Sergio Leone western.
Produced by Avicii, aka Tim Bergling, STORIES features 14 original songs on which he worked for two years to push himself genre-wise and maintain his commitment to crafting undeniably catchy melodies and personal themes. The result is music that is grounded in its vision and surefooted in its artistry. On STORIES, Bergling collaborated with some of music’s most distinctive singers/songwriters including Alex Ebert, Matisyahu, Wyclef Jean, Zak Abel, Gavin DeGraw, Zac Brown and others to be announced.
STORIES is available for pre-order. An exciting new, double single from the album, “For A Better Day”/“Pure Grinding,” was released last week:
‘Pure Grinding’: iTunes / Apple Music
‘For A Better Day’: iTunes / Apple Music
‘Pure Grinding For A Better Day’: iTunes / Apple Music
About Avicii:
In 2011, Avicii reached critical mass with the global success of “Le7els,” which became a No. 1 dance hit in the U.S. and the U.K. and sold four million tracks worldwide. It topped the charts in six other territories, went top 10 in many more, and garnered Bergling his second Grammy nomination. Other hits brought a much-publicized remix of Madonna’s “Girl Gone Wild.” In 2013, Avicii won his first American Music Award (for Favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist) and his first MTV Europe Music Award (EMA) (for Best Electronic Artist).
In 2014 Avicii cemented his place in the firmament of superstar recording artist/DJ’s with the success of his genre-defying debut album, True, on PRMD Records. The album not only satisfied the 26-year-old Swede’s restless creative urge to push musical boundaries, it also upped the ante on what dance music could be by blending the earthy sounds of folk, country, and bluegrass with soaring pop melodies, funky disco jams, and driving house beats. True spawned the 4x-platinum guitar-laden stomper “Wake Me Up,” which hit No. 1 in 81 countries and became the most streamed song of all time on Spotify (over 300 million plays) and the No. 1 most Shazamed song worldwide, while racking up 2.6 billion international streams and 600 million combined YouTube views. Upon True’s release, The New York Times heralded Avicii as “an artist carrying today — and tomorrow — on his shoulders.”
In May, Avicii and Volvo Cars, two of Sweden’s most influential brands, launched their collaboration on a new brand campaign which features Avicii’s reworking of the classic song Feeling Good. The music video for Feeling Good was filmed on location in Stockholm and Osterlen, southern Sweden in places of personal significance for Avicii and tells his own story of renewal, following several years of hard touring.
About PRMD Music:
PRMD is an independent label, home to Avicii, Cazzette and iSHi, as well as the recently established ICONS label. Diverse in sound and sourcing talent from across the continents, the label approaches 2015 with a manifesto for taking its reign beyond the electronic dance bubble, tapping into the worlds of electronic music, hip-hop, indie rock and commercial pop, alongside a wealth of both new and already-established artists.
About Island Records:
Island Records, which celebrates its 56th anniversary in 2015, maintains its position as one of the world’s legendary record labels, a coveted destination for new and established artists of every description. Island staked its claim at the beginning of the musical revolution that shook the 1960s and ’70s, and continues that trend-spotting spirit of adventure. Today’s Island is home to a varied roster that ranges from Bon Jovi, Avicii, Fall Out Boy, Nick Jonas, and The Killers, to Shawn Mendes, The Gaslight Anthem, American Authors, Incubus, Jake Bugg, Tove Lo, Kiesza, and many more. Island Records is a division of Universal Music Group, the undisputed global music leader, with wholly owned operations in 60 territories. Universal Music Group is a fully owned subsidiary of Vivendi.
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